


The Skin Trade

by LittleAGranger



Category: Beyblade
Genre: Angst, Anime, BlitzkriegBoys, Crime, Dark, Drama, Fanfiction, Friendship, Trafficking, Undercover, Underground, beyblade - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2020-03-26 09:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19003093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleAGranger/pseuds/LittleAGranger
Summary: [Slight AU]. A secret BBA agent has exposed the darkside of the sport to the media and it has spread like a wildfire. Trafficked bladers have been placed underground, yet the Ring Leaders who run this inhumane business have vanished. The identities of BBA Agents are being exposed in the press and they are too are disappearing. So as a last resort, why do they chose to send Kai?





	1. Chapter 1

.The Skin Trade.  
.[Chapter 1 – A New Mission].

"It's not like Mr Dickinson to summon us like this." Spoke Kenny as he gazed his eyes around Mr Dickinson's office. "Usually he will either approach us or call us. So I am beginning to wonder why he would request the entire team. Anyway, I hope it's nothing bad."

"Ah, you're worrying too much Chief." Tyson strolled across the room to gaze out the oversized windows. He smiled like a curious child as he admired the routine of the busy city life. "Oh man, Mr D has such a view from up here. I would never get any work done if I had these windows in my office space."

"Really!? Aw, let me see!" Max rushed over to his best friend to have a cheeky peek. After a few seconds, he chuckled, "Look, Tyson, there are two men over there having an argument in the middle of the traffic."

Tyson pressed his finger against the glass and stated, "Haha! I can see. That man on the right looks like he is hangry."

"I bet he was on his way to KFC." Max nudged Tyson playfully and then pointed to the nearby fast food restaurant, "Speaking of which, I would kill for a bucket of chicken."

"Guys, really?" Blurted Hilary. She rolled her eyes and attached both of her hands onto her hips. "And get your palms off the windows! You're marking it."

A light sweatdrop formed in the corner of Tyson and Max's forehead. They jumped back away from the glass and then dived their hands into their pockets. The pair didn't stop to think about the consequences of their oiled fingerprints.

"So, did Mr Dickinson's assistant mention how long he was going to be?" Ray interrogated impatiently with a huff. He sat down next to Kai on the luxurious sofa that was provided nearby the desk. The early flight from China to Japan had finally taken a toll on his mood and Ray was ready to walk out of here any second. "Because I really need a nap."

"But you've just had a nap in the taxi here-"

Ray shot Tyson a stern red-eyed glance. But before he could open his mouth to release his inner storm, something caught his attention within the corner of his view. His heart leapt with joy at the coffee machine that was sat at the back of the room.

A light smile stained his lips and his eyes gleamed with relief. 'Tyson lives to breathe another day.'~

"Kai, would you like a black coffee?" Ray considerately asked. "Or a milky cup of tea?"

Stubbornly, Kai turned his head to face away from Ray. "Neither. But I bet the lady sat at Mr Dickinson's desk would like a latte." He replied in a dull tone. Kai was so embarrassed to know that none of his teammates had acknowledged the elephant in the room.

"What?" Ray suddenly felt wide awake when he realised that the back of the leather chair was facing them, "There's someone at Mr Dickinson's desk?"

"Uh!" Tyson grunted with his hand reaching to his blade, "No way! Who's that!? Show yourself!"  
A villain-like snigger flattened the atmosphere, and all the bladers tensed as the sound reached their eardrums.

"I can see why Mr Dickinson is very fond of you all. You're all so innocent and free-spirited." Slowly the desk chair swirled around to reveal a formally dressed violet-haired woman. Her green eyes jumped from each of the individuals in the room to study their physique and reactions. "However, I should start by announcing that Mr Dickinson is very apologetic about not being able to make it to this meeting of ours. He's been caught up in other affairs."

'I feel like I can't trust her.' Max swallowed the saliva in his mouth forcefully and frowned, 'She looks like a con-artist of some kind.'

"Other affairs?" Tyson tilted his head, "Like what?!"

"It will all be revealed in time. But for now, all I can tell you is that I have been asked to approach you for your assistance in a certain mission of ours." The pale hour-glass figured woman stood up from her chair to introduce her slender legs that were barely covered by her short skirt. "My name is agent Z, and I am in charge of the Beyblade Agent Organisation. [BAO]. I am the individual who has the final say in difficult situations, and sometimes, it can be life or death."

'I haven't had enough coffee to deal with this.' Ray stuck his tongue into his inner cheek, 'But what does this woman from BAO want with us?!'

"I don't know if you boys have heard recently, but an ex-agent of ours went to the press about an underground trafficking scenario. The BBA was so close to annihilating this inhumane objective until the media had chosen to stick their nose into our business. Their interference has cost us greatly because we have lost track and sight of the ring leaders completely. It's as if they have vanished from the map. Plus, many agents have encountered the threat of being exposed in the newspapers."

"BBA agents?" Tyson repeated with a memory performing before his eyes, "I have heard of them before, but I didn't think that they were real. I mean, Hiro told me about them after winning the third world tournament."

~Flashback~

"You may think that you're the best, Tyson. But you still haven't seen the bladers are have been purposely hidden from the human eye."

"What do you mean?" Tyson sat up straight and tilted his head at his brother, "I have taken down Brooklyn, Max, Ray, Daichi, you and Kai in the last season. So what more do I have to do to prove that I am the best? Surely there is nobody else."

A smug smirk filled Hiro's lips. He was secretly pleased to know that Tyson was paying attention to his wise words.

"There are bladers out there who have been trained to wipe out the dark side of this sport." The elder Granger sat down beside his brother and made eye contact with him. "These people are known as The BBA agents. They take down people who are dirtier than Boris."

"You cannot be serious?!" Tyson's heart skipped a beat, "But how come we have never heard of all this?! Hiro, I am beginning to think that you are pulling my leg."

~End Flash Back~

'Damn, he was right. But I didn't believe him!' Tyson facepalmed and expressed an irritated groan. 'I'm such an idiot sometimes.'

"So if your agents cannot get close to the big guys who are responsible for this mess, then why have you came to us-"

The violet-haired agent rolled her green eyes at Hilary. "I haven't come here for you. I have come here to collect Kai. I'm also here to explain that Kai will not be joining you on your upcoming tournament." She corrected as she turned her attention over to the man of the hour – Kai, he was now on his feet in a defensive stance.

"Kai?!" Everyone but the leader screeched. "Nooo!"

"Lucky me." The raven-haired male clearly wasn't delighted with the news. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but you're wasting your time. I don't want anything to do with these evil traffickers. Besides, if the press is undercover in the investigation, then a star vehicle like me won't last ten minutes in your pathetic approach."

An eyebrow raised on the agent's pale face, "Mr Dickinson did explain that you were a stubborn one. But you are our last resort. You are a valuable asset to this mission and I'm afraid that your compliance is not an option. I will give you a few minutes to say goodbye to your friends Kai."

"Mr Dickinson!?" Kai's muscles tensed at the new information. "He's put me up to this?"

"Maybe." The agent shrugged, "But you pretty much signed and sealed the deal when you and your teammates interrupted a mission of ours."

"Our team have never crossed paths with any of you." Ray piped up to defend his captain, who'd strangely gone quiet. "So I think you better check your facts again."

"Uh." A sheet of sweat then formed across Kai's forehead. He added, "She's not talking about you."

"She's talking about the Blitzkrieg Boys, isn't she, Kai?" Tyson clicked on straight away, "Oh man."

"This may be a delicate subject. Buuuut." Max scratched the back of his neck anxiously, "What happened?"

"Nothing happened." Kai quickly placed a restriction on that memory. "Anyway, you can't prove anything."

The agent then placed her palms onto the desk and leaned over to intimidate him with a grin, "I am not a woman who plays games. Kai, I almost ordered one of my agents to shoot Bryan because he jumped in the way of our snipers." She explained without a hint of mercy lingering within her icy voice.

'Fuuuuuuuuck.' Kai swirled his neck around to release some tension in his figure. 'Of all the people to witness us, it was HER!'

"You knew about all of this!?" Max's eyes almost exploded inside their sockets, he couldn't believe that was such a dark twist to this joyful sport. "How come you never mentioned it, Kai?! And why have I only just heard about all of this?! I'm always in touch with the news!"

"Yea, Kai, how come you knew about all of this? And why have you decided to turn a blind eye to it all?" Demanded the world champion with his face firing a glare into his captain's direction. "Personally, I thought you would have done more to help those bladers who need it most."

"Perhaps Kai has never been given the chance to help out." Hilary squinted at her teammates, Max and Tyson. "You guys of all people should know that you can't bring down a dangerous threat without a team of people you can trust. Look at Boris for example. He had so many supporters and followers that it would have been impossible to bring him down without some help."

A heavy sigh flared through Tyson's nostrils. "Fine, but now that you do have the opportunity to help, are you going to do it, Kai?" He reiterated the question in which the agent was seconds away from asking.

"It would seem like I don't really have a choice. So I am ready to do my fair share." The Dranzer wielder almost sounded sheepish, "Still, I don't understand why you would choose me."

"That will all make sense in time Mr Hiwatari." The agent almost looked relieved to know that Kai was coming along quietly. "All I can tell you now is that you'll be undercover with a brand new identity for you and your Beyblade. But for the safety of you and your friends, you will not communicate with them until this assignment is over." The female office explained formally, "Mr Hiwatari, you will be introduced to some of the evilest beings that the world has ever walked upon this Earth. Some of these ring-leaders have bounties on their heads which are worth more than your grandfather's company."

An uncomfortable grunt cooed from Tyson's throat, "That's insane." He interlocked his fingers together and then pressed his hands down on top of his head.

"Yea, well, I'm not the slightest intimidated. So when do I start?"

Gob-smacked by what Kai had just said, Kenny leaned onto Ray for support to prevent himself from collapsing. "Is he, is he being serious!? Kai! You aren't exactly a James Bond, these big shots will kill you-" His words ran out of runway when his lungs sealed up with anxiety.

A slight snigger danced through Ray's lips, 'it wouldn't surprise me if Kai has been asked to play a James Bond role.' However, once he recovered from his brief amusing thought, Ray took a deep breath and fixated his attention onto Kai.

'I know you'd survive because you're strong, Kai. But what happens if the worst case scenario did occur? Would you really be able to aim a weapon to the enemy and use it to destroy them? Or would you crack and allow the enemy the chance to kill you?' So many scenarios leapt through Ray's imagination and his fists sealed tightly with worry.

"Kai!" Ray snapped without hesitation, "Take care of yourself and don't hold back. I just know you can do this."

"Ray's right." Max straightened himself up proudly, "We support you, Kai. It's a shame you won't let any of us come with you though-"

Grateful with the support, Kai's crimson eyes widened. In the darkest of hours, it was always his teammate's support which gave Kai the strength he needed to perform the impossible. Never one to back down from a challenge, the Hiwatari clenched his fist and lightly smirked.

'Thanks, guys.' Kai mentally concluded. 'I won't let anyone down.'

"Haha, that's what he thinks." Interrupted the Dragoon wielder as he approached his rivals personal space. Tyson placed his hands onto his hips and he grinned confidently, "I am going on this mission too, wither you like it or not."

"You've got to be kidding me." Kai thought out loud with his mood swinging from one to another like a pregnant woman. He was livid with Tyson's choice. "You have to continue in the tournament and support the team."

"Ah, come on, Kai." Tyson stuck out his tongue for a second, "Let's put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. Would you stick around in a tournament if I wasn't around? No. I am going to do what's right and help those kids who are suffering."

"Wow, what a jerk." Hilary rolled her eyes and then nudged Max, "Am I right?!"

"I mean the team will be fine, after all, they do have Hilary to keep bossing them around." Tyson glanced over his shoulder at the manager to imply that there was more to that sentence that met the eye. "But fine, I can see that you're never going to accept the fact that I want to help, so I am going to do my own mission and take down a separate ring-leader."

By now, Hilary was being restrained by Max. "Knock some sense into that pig before I do, Kai." She demanded with steam coming out of her ears.

"Hey, we both might come face to face in a match sometime during our missions." Winked the Granger confidently, "Even though we will be unrecognisable, we could define to everyone just exactly Beyblade is. It's not about the money, the prizes or the titles, it's about having fun."

Unable to endure another word of Tyson's little fantasy, Kai turned his back to his teammate and hung his head low in disappointment. "Fine, do what you want, Tyson. Just don't interfere with my mission because I will make you pay for it." He warned heavy heartedly, before walking out the room.

'It's just like Mr Dickinson said, if you can win over Kai, Tyson will follow too. Excellent.'~

"Besides, I want to meet a BBA agent and then I want to kick their ass!"

"Tyson! If Mr Dickinson allows you to enter this mission, then you have to work alongside the agents." Kenny exclaimed with so much anxiety welling up inside his chest. "There is more to this mission than beating up your fellow agents."


	2. The Dodged Bullet. Bryan's Luck.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief flash back which involves the Blitzkrieg Boys :).

Sent to gather their belongings, the two teammates isolated themselves into Tyson's bedroom with agent Z standing outside. The atmosphere in the room was unbearably quiet and neither of the two really knew what to say to each other as they loaded their gear into separate bags.

It was strange to know that they wouldn't each other again for a long time. Secretly, it bothered Kai to know that they wouldn't recognise each other if they did cross paths on their individual missions.

'What if we shoot each other? Or what if he blows my cover!? For fuuuuck sake, Tyson.'

Still, the pair would briefly sneak a peek at the other to ensure that the other wasn't cracking from the pressure that was now piling up onto their shoulders.

However, the silence didn't last for long.

When Tyson finished packing his luggage, he stretched out the tension in his figure by reaching his arms towards the ceiling. "So, this is some pretty serious stuff, huh?" He announced out the blue.

"You are treading into dangerous waters. Make sure that you take care of yourself, Tyson."

The concerned captain's words were meaningful, but Tyson was more interested in hearing the story behind this mess. He reached out his hand to offer it as a handshake, but naturally, Kai stubbornly declined and continued to pack his bag.

"Oh c'mon Kai. We both can take care of ourselves. But seriously, now that we are alone without any of the team around to overhear us. Why don't you tell me about what happened!? I'll always have your back, Kai. You're my best friend."

No response.

"Kai, I'll nag you better than Hilar has ever done. In fact, I will do it until you tare your own navy blue locks out. So, what happened on that day when you were caught overhearing the traffick trade?"

Even though it clearly pained Kai to discuss the delicate subject, Tyson refused to back down without at least putting up a fight. He was determined to figure just exactly what had happened that day. Tyson wanted to know EVERYTHING!

The Hiwatari forcefully zipped up his bag and shot the Granger a gritted teeth glare. Kai didn't see any reason to discuss this with his rival, especially as Tyson wasn't going to absorb any of Kai's gentle warnings. Tyson was adamant about his decision and this only frustrated the captain even more.

'Then again, if I explain to him what happened, he might just change his mind. Plus, Tyson does need an eye-opener to make him understand just how dangerous this mission will be.'~

"Fine, but you better listen to every little detail that I tell you because I am not going to repeat myself." Kai cleared his throat and then placed himself onto the edge of the bed, "It all started when the team and I went shopping in the city centre. We were approached by this blader."

xXx

"If I win, the loser must switch places with me in life." The rogued figure aims their launcher towards the Blitzkrieg Boys. A bloodthirsty grin was smeared across his wide mouth. "So, who will it be?"

"Take a hike, kid. You are not worthy of our time." The red-haired leader didn't hesitate, he clearly didn't have an ounce of mercy left within him. He turned his back to the child and held his head high. "We have a championship final to train for."

"Oh, believe me, I know that. I also know that you have had a hard time in Russia. But where I come from, 'kids' like me would give their right arm to have been in your shoes."

The dark tone of voice coming from the boy continued to send a shiver down Kai's spine. It was so cold and thirsty that it almost reminded him of what it was like to endure the abbey days all over again. So many of his past opponents would communicate with him in that same tone, and at this point, Kai was willing to do anything to end this awkward scenario.

Bryan straightened up. He released a low growl under his heavy breath, "What did you just say? You little shit."

Alarmed by his teammate's reaction, Spencer raised out his arm to block Bryan's path to the stranger. "He's trying to get a reaction out of us all on purpose. Ignore him, and focus on the tournament." The blond reminded in a cool and calm manner. He wasn't the slightest bothered by this unpredictable situation.

"Nobody cares." Tala fired back un-emotionally, "So, go away and do something more valuable with your time because the Blitzkrieg Boys will destroy you, your blade and then we will finish you off by shattering your spirit."

Even though the intruder was impressed with the fact that he'd been able to snatch the entire team's attention for this long, the boy wasn't ready to back down as of yet. He casually walked up to Tala's figure and he poked his loaded launcher into his spine.

"Go on then. Let's see if you can break me because if you don't then my trafficker will kill me."

'Trafficker!? Are you fucking kidding me?! This blader belongs to someone else? But why? What is the purpose behind this? And why is this rat picking a fight with us? Does his trafficker want to absorb us too?'

Many suspicious questions bounced around inside Kai's anxious mind. It was so overwhelming that his head would begin to throb aggressively. In fact, it was so uncomfortable that Kai's figure would twitch with nerves at the thought of what this child just may have been through to become the blader that he is today. It almost reminded him of someone.

Slowly the Hiwatari shifted his crimson eyes over to his captain and he waited for his response.

"I said buzz off. We want nothing to do with-"

"I'll take you on." Bryan eagerly interrupted, "And I will take on your trafficker too."

"Pft, he won't be joining us, for security reasons. However, he can't wait to meet you, Bryan. I bet he would break you better than that abbey did."

'How does he know so much about the abbey!?' Kai was absorbing everything. 'Did his traffick circle do business with Boris in the past? Surely not, Russian boys threw themselves at Boris' feet because they wanted to be powerful. However, nobody knows what happened to those boys who were deemed as worthless. I have a feeling that this boy may know the missing link here. After all, he speaks like he's personally been in that abbey himself.'~

Spencer's eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. "You took the words right out of my mouth. Ha, but I think you will do a good job of cleaning up this mess, Bryan." He then followed the boys turning head to acknowledge that there was a shady gentleman who was sat in a cafe window.

"Fine. But you can't blade here. So I suggest we go somewhere else." Kai perked up from in the background, "What about the local park that's nearby?"

'What a clever fucker, he's dragging the boy away from the trafficker's view.' Tala nodded and nudged his head into the direction in which they had to walk, "But before we go anywhere, what's your name, kid?" He asked as he spared the boy a look over his shoulder.

"I'll tell you my name after I bring down your measly teammate." The stranger lowered his launcher to signal that he was willing to participate in this wise move. "Just so you know Bryan, I am going to give this fight my everything."

"Wow, he is really good at the trash talk." Bryan sarcastically waved off the weak insult. "Let's go and get this over with. Junior here will miss his hourly beating otherwise."

"Oh, pft, Boris used to give us one of those every half an hour." Tala bounced off his teammate and he swallowed the pain that was building up inside his chest. "The park is a 5 minute walk from here."

The short stroll dragged, but once they arrived at the park, nobody wasted any time. The two were so ferocious in the dish that a crowd had started to form and this was the perfect cover for the trafficker to mix within.

But the boy's rampage soon came to an end when Bryan had finished toying with him; the electric blade flew out of the dish and skipped across the ground to stop near his owner's feet. The crowd cheered on their winner and the sounds of applause filled the air.

It was distracting, especially as Bryan was more interested in following the boy's frightened eyes.

"He's going to kill me." The boy's breath ran short when he finally caught a glimpse of the shady man in the crowd. "There he is. I have to get out of here."

Without warning, the boy abandoned his blade and made a run for it. He shoved his way through the crowds and disappeared into the city. But instead of following the young chap, Bryan went into the opposite direction to chase down the trafficker.

"You might frighten that child! But you don't frighten me!" The silver-haired male shouted at the top of his lungs, with his face reddening with anger. "You better hope that I don't catch you because I WILL kill you. I'm going to make sure that you will not hurt another child again!"

Now shaken by the threat, the man turns down an alleyway to encounter a dead end. Once he realises that there is now no way to escape, he decides to reflect Bryan's threat by pulling out a loaded gun.

"Well, I better kill you first then, hadn't I?"

The thick Russian accent stunned Bryan for a moment. But that didn't stop him from dodging the bullet, Bryan charged to the trafficker and tackled him down onto the ground. Naturally, the gun skipped had across the ground, making it temporarily unreachable.

With so much rage overriding all sense of his self-control, Bryan placed his large palms over the pale man's face and he sealed it tightly. "It looks like you're about to meet Satan, so say hi for me." Bryan lifted his wrist and then bounced the traffickers head against the ground.

CRACK!~

There was so much force in the action that the trafficker's skull had almost shattered. But the traumatising sound was iced over by the sound of the piercing scream which erupted from inside the trafficker's lungs.

"PLEASE! STOP! I BEG OF YOU!"

"No." Hissed Bryan with his eyes widened pupils glaring into the man's broken soul, "I won't stop."

BANG!~

"Uh!" Bryan's heart stopped when a faint breeze brushed past his cheek. "No!"

Light splutters of blood splashed onto his face, and his now numbed hand somehow had managed to gain a hole.

Dumb-folded by what had just happened in the last split second, Bryan noticed that the trafficker was no longer screaming nor breathing – he was dead. He raised his hand to conclude that a bullet had penetrated through his hand to kill off the trafficker.

"Fuck." He gasped and crawled away from the fresh corpse. "What is going on here!?"

xXx

At the other end of Bey-City, Tala and the rest of the team were chasing the young boy. The fit men dodged the distractions of the city streets like stuntmen who were acting out a scene for an upcoming blockbuster. They danced around the busy roads, dodged pedestrians and swung around lampposts.

But there was always one set back in which the team couldn't always avoid – their fans.

"I miss being invisible to everyone." Tala thought out loud as a girl latched onto him. He stopped in his tracks and tried to squirm free from the fangirl. "This really is not the time or the place! Urgh! I'll catch up!"

"We know you will." Spencer chuckled under his breath and redirected his head back to the street. "Shit, I have lost the kid and Kai. Oh no."

A few blocks ahead, Kai was unstoppable. "Kid! Stop! You don't have to run anymore!" He called out in a softer tone.

"No! They will catch me if I stop! They did last time!" The tearful boy replied, running like his life is depending on it. "I can't stop!"

"Urgh." In an attempt to stop the blader, Kai reached out his hand and caught hold of the boys hood. "I won't let them hurt you if you stop!"

Unaware of a dent in the pathway, Kai's feet lost balance and he stumbled down onto the ground, losing the boy. He released the boy and placed down his palms onto the ground to soften his crash. But once recovered, Kai, gazed up to see that a vehicle had pulled up at an upcoming pedestrian crossing. Two men rushed out the van and forced the blader into the van.

"No!" Blurted Kai in frustration, "KID!"

"For goodness sake." Cursed Spencer under his breath. He'd finally caught up to witness the end of this mess. "The boy must have been worth a hefty sum if they have collected him in such a way."

"I don't care!" Kai quickly loaded his launcher to aim it for the vehicle that was disappearing into the distance, "They're not having him!"

"Kai! No!" Their captain who had just arrived on the scene, dived on to his teammate to stop him from launching his blade. "You will be putting too many lives in danger if you launch Dranzer in the middle of a road."

"Tala! Kai!" Spencer's jaw flew towards the floor. "Oh no."

Now shattered with disappointment because the vehicle had now vanished from their sight. Kai raised his hand to lash the back of his palm across Tala's flushed face. "Don't ever tell me what to do again." He warned in temper and dismantled his launcher.

'I could have saved that boy.'~

"Kai. I was simply doing you a favour." Tala snarled and shot him a disgusted glare. "We are all devastated about the kid, but we cannot let ourselves fall into that dangerous loop. It's too risky."

Another loud growl of frustration filled the air and Kai's muscles tensed so tight that his skin almost tore. "I can't fucking believe this." He grunted to himself.

Kai had purposely ignored his captains rosy cheeked death glare because he didn't care about Tala's wisdom right now. If anything, Kai just wanted to save that young lad, so he could give him the freedom that he rightfully deserved.

'This isn't over! Not by a long shot!'~


	3. The Facilitated Awakening

Sat in the back of a blackened out vehicle, Kai and Tyson had no choice but to entertain themselves during the journey to the top secret BBA facility. The drive was so stuffy, and the tinted windows made it difficult for the bladers to register just exactly where they were going. Everything was dark and this concerned Tyson immensely – he hated it.

"Tell me, Agent Z." Kai took a deep breath and crossed his arms. "Was it you who authorised that shot which could have killed Bryan?"

"Hm." The slender woman smirked cunningly, "You're very clever, Kai. But how did you figure it out?"

"It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The Blitzkrieg Boys have only crossed paths with traffickers once."

Tyson then fell out of his chair. Naturally, he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. So when the shock did kick in, he wasn't able to restrict his movement, or his tongue for that matter.

"YOU WERE WILLING TO KILL BRYAN FOR THAT!? WHAT!?" He screeched, "YOU BETTER NOT MAKE ANY OF THOSE RASH DECISIONS NEAR ME OR MY MISSIONS!"

"I told you, I have to do what I think is best. No matter how costly the end result can be." The violet-haired agent bit her lower lip briefly, "Now that you know a little secret of mine, I want to know one of yours, Kai."

"How about no." The Bladebreaker Captain fired back immediately. "I am not playing games."

By this point, Tyson had crawled back up into his seat. He squinted when Kai shot him a brief glare as if to say: 'Will you put your FUCKING seatbelt on.' Even though it was Kai's way of showing that he 'cared', Tyson still would rather hear him say it, so he ignored it and focused back on the agent.

She laughed arrogantly, "Games? Kai, don't be so childish now. I am not your enemy." Agent Z then leaned closer to intimidate him, "But I do want you both to tell me when you first found out about this trafficking industry."

"Literally when I first met you." Tyson held up his hand to honestly confess his truths. "I didn't know this sick trade existed."

Agent Z nodded to demonstrate that she had acknowledged Tyson's response. Buuut we all know that she was more interested in Kai's answer, and for some reason, the Hiwatari wasn't willing to discuss this. He pardoned it by looking out the window to watch the world move.

"Okay, Kai. If you won't talk now, you will talk later."

'Was that a threat?'~

"Until then, when we arrive at the facility, you will both be provided with a uniform. Change into those and wait for further instructions on what to do next."

xXx

"It's awfully kind of you to put us up, Mr Granger-"

Max was cut short by Ryuu's slick tongue.

"Oh don't sweat it, little dudes. Tyson may be a little unthoughtful at times, but he wouldn't let any of his homies endure the streets now. So make sure you hold your end of the bargain and stick out this tournament."

Everyone nodded to signal their promise. But when Ryuu left the room to do his own thing, it gave the team a chance to discuss some of their personal thoughts and issues.

"I am beginning to think that Mr Dickinson has some explaining to do." Ray thought out loud as he rubbed his face to ease up the frown. "He's not been spotted in the public eye for some time now, nor has he been in contact with any of us."

"That's true." Kenny tilted his head aside and adjusted his oversized specs. "Perhaps he is involved in the missions somehow."

"Mr Dickinson isn't the type to get his hands dirty."

The unexpected voice caught everyone off-guard and they turned their heads to the dojo lounge. Each individual widened their eyes at the tall man removed his mask to strip his alter ego from his personal identity – Jin, aka, Hiro.

"And before you ask, yes, I have been asked to fill in for Kai." Hiro briefly smiled at their reactions, "Nobody will be replacing Tyson because his mission should be completed before the championship finals."

Stunned by the piece of gossip, Ray stepped forward and asked the question in which everyone had on the tip of their tongue, "How do you know about Tyson? And who told you that?" He stared his sincere golden eyes into those piercing untrustworthy pupils.

"We both know that I can't tell you anything. But let's just say that my source of information is reliable." Hiro wasn't intimidated by the nekojin. He just continued as normal and addressed his remaining teammates. "So, I have heard that Hilary and Kenny have designed some training regimes for the upcoming match, I want to see them."

"Jeez, I just wish someone would be honest with us for five minutes." Max sweat dropped and pouted in a fed up tone. "It's getting ridiculous."

Before anybody had the chance to either agree or disagree with the American blond, the sound of the television subconsciously caught everyone's attention.

'This just in. The three agents whose identities were exposed through an unknown online source have been found dead in Germany. Their Beyblades were stripped from them and their cause of death is yet to be announced as investigators continue to piece together just exactly what has happened to the three individuals.'

"What?!" Kenny had to lean on Hilary for stability, "Their identities were only revealed yesterday!"

The newsreader went on in the background. 'Children around the globe are washing their hands with the sport by destroying or abandoning their Beyblades.'

Stressed at the thought of his friends joining this dangerous game, Ray pinched the bridge of his nose before leaving the room. Max, on the other hand, he switched off the television and blinked back the insecurity that was now lingering in his eyes.

"I can't believe that we aren't allowed to speak to our friends to see if they are okay." Hilary piped up, she wrapped an arm around Kenny to comfort him briefly. "I really don't want any of us to end up staring at a television screen 24/7 to find out if Tyson or Kai have been killed."

Struck by the dark thought, Max turned around to Hiro. "Tyson and Kai are going to resolve this problem. I know they will-"

Proud of Max's inner strength, Hiro nodded and held out his cupped hands to the team. "That's right. So until this is all over, I am banning mobile phones and television. We must concentrate on our side of the bargain to ensure that Tyson and Kai can do their jobs successfully." Even though he'd given away a hint of the plan, Hiro didn't show any remorse.

It was his job to distract the team from interfering with Tyson and Kai's opportunity. Hiro also was in charge of adding some positivity to the news, he had a few ideas in mind to bring back those smiles.

xXx

In the changing rooms, Tyson adjusted his blue trousers and then slipped on a pair of red gloves. "It reminds me so much of your season one style, Kai. All we need now is the black shoe- Oh man, we have them too! HAHAHA!" Of course, there were black trainers provided.

Unamused by the comparisons that Tyson was making with the BBA uniforms, Kai turned his back to his teammate and changed quietly.

'On the first day of his mission, I can see myself being sent in to save his dopey ass.' The leader concluded to himself and wiped away his blue face paint with his old lilac t-shirt. 'Still, will Tyson cope with this mission knowing that he cannot contact his friends? He'll crack.'

"So, how come you wouldn't answer that lady's question earlier?" Tyson asked as he placed on a clean t-shirt, he even tucked it into his blue trousers to mimic his captain's old look. "I mean, is it personal or something?"

Kai nodded negatively, "No. I just don't see the need to talk about it."

"Typical." Tyson rolled his eyes, "But what if your knowledge of the industry can shed some light on the investigation?" He purposely peeked at his teammate to register his facial expression; Tyson was determined to get him talking about.

Unphased by Tyson's intrusion, Kai attached his blade and launched to his belt. "I'll be the judge of that." Once more, Kai pardoned the subject before shifting his attention over to the new intruder who had stepped into the room.

The agent defensively scanned the two bladers to identify any hazards or risks that they may pose. "Kai, you are coming with me. But Tyson, you have to walk through that door. You both have to attend separate training sessions to test your skill and strength." He explained with one hand tapping over his launcher which was also intact with his belt.

Their uniforms were matching, so this immediately indicated to Kai that they were now official agents. But before he could follow the agent's footsteps, he briefly gazed at his rival for the last time and he forced a weak brotherly smile.

'Be careful, Tyson. These guys won't go easy on you. They will test you.'~

When Kai took his first step, he felt Tyson's hand latch on to his shoulder. "Don't worry, Kai. We are going to save these kids and we are going to save this sport. I'm not going to let anybody down, even if it kills me." The champion gave him a final squeeze and then released him.

'Pft, that's what you think. You have to stay alive wither you like it or not, Tyson.'~

Kai impatiently huffed and continued his stroll, "See you around, Tyson."

xXx

The facility was very similar to the layout that was located in America, but the biggest difference was the size of the location. Even though Mrs Tate's labs contained the top of the range equipment, this laboratory featured technology that no man had ever dreamed of witnessing, not even Boris himself would consider himself to be this advanced with his experiments.

Kai would peek through the windows in the hallways to absorb everything. There were rows of bit-beasts contained in large capsules, infiltrated with chemicals and substances. Some looked man-made, yet others clearly were extracted from archaeological sites.

'Had they been brought back to life?'

And in Kai's mind, there was only two men for that job – Mr Granger, and his apprentice, Hiro.

'Wait, does that mean Hiro is involved in all of this somehow? If so, how much does that sly bastard actually know?'~

Moving onwards, Kai's attention swung over to the next room which contained a vault that was heavily protected by armed men and swift technology. He wanted to lean forward and have a closer look, but he understood that his priority right now was to focus on his mission.

'I'll be looking up that vault later.'~

Eventually, the agent led Kai into a bare giant room that contained nothing but an oversized dome. Above them were two enormous fans to circulate the temperature and the air flow in the atmosphere.

"Here is where I will be assessing your psychological skills as a blader." The agent spoke in a formal voice and prepared his launcher. "My job is to see how well you can handle pressure, even in your darkest hour."

'Oh, here we go.'

"If you're trying to extract information from me, then you won't win, not by a long shot." Replied Kai as he too loaded his launcher. He aimed it at his opponent without a hint of fear gleaming in his crimson eyes.

'I'll just have to bring him down quickly to stop him from getting too personal. But just what exactly is this agent capable of doing?'

More than Kai could ever imagine.

Without warning, the door they once came through sealed closed and the agent remained neutral faced. He seemed to be very composed for a blader who was about to take on one of the world champions in the sport. It's as if the agent didn't care or acknowledge Kai's title, and this bothered the Hiwatari for some reason.

A bright red light then filled the room, and it was soon followed by an amber glow, then a green.

It was a traffic light countdown, and this caught Kai off-guard immediately. He was so thrown off by the unpredictable scenario that his opponent had already launcher their blade before he did.

"Shhhhit." Kai dived aside to dodge their blade. "Go Dranzer!"

'Two can play this game!'~

On his back, Kai yanked the chord back to fire his blade towards his opponent. Dranzer flourished onto the ground and immediately attacked the opponent's yellow blade.

"You don't like surprises, do you?" The agent sounded disappointed in Kai's behaviour. It was as if he was expecting much more from him. He closed his eyes and went on to continue his rant. "When you are in the field, nobody cares about your status. So don't expect any special treatment from your opponents because they will kill you."

'IS HE READING MY MIND?'~

"And don't expect your opponents to be predictable because they will do everything in their power to destroy you."

Kai's pupils narrowed and he picked himself up from the floor. At this point, he didn't know where to put his face. But when he turned his attention back to his blade, he noticed that his opponent's blade had begun to glow whenever it was driving into Dranzer.

This clearly was a clue as to what was going on. But the big questions were: HOW!? WHAT!? WHEN!? WHY!?

After a brief blink, Kai found himself standing before Brooklyn. His flesh was sore, yet his body fatigued. "What is going on here?" He breathed heavily and glanced his heavy eyes down to his feet to see that he was sinking in thick black liquid, it almost looked like oil.

"No, no, no." He growled and peeked back to his blade to see that his opponent was still driving into Dranzer. "What are you doing?"

Then within the next blink, everything changed again. Kai was now stood before Boris and Voltaire. They were discussing the future of Biovault.

"My grandson won't fail because you are going to train him better than any soldier that you have previously

Stunned and overwhelmed with the dramatic changed. Kai also acknowledged the heavy bitterness that was drowning his healed heart.

'This is the day after Voltaire won custody of me. Dad had just walked out on me and my mother and I hated that man more than anything. It was then when Voltaire decided to make me his secret weapon for his world domination plans. I must have been seven when this took place.'

"How are we going to keep ourselves financially protected?" Voltaire questioned in a stern tone, "Because this equipment and facility doesn't come cheap, Boris and I cannot afford to keep investing my own personal finances into this, especially if half of the bladers don't meet the criteria that we are searching for."

A smug grin spread across Boris's lips and he placed his hands at either side of his built figure. "I have a very dark yet reasonable suggestion that you may well want to sit down and consider. Voltaire, if a blader is proven to be unuseful to us, then potentially we could sell the worthless blader to a few people that I know. They will offer a large sum for a blader who have been brainwashed and trained in such a fine abbey."

"Are you trying to tell me that you want to sell the children to the underground traffick ring? Isn't that inhumane?"

"Maybe, but you will never have to worry about money. Now, as I am your most loyal companion in this business, Voltaire, let me do the dirty work. You can deny everything-"

Gaped by the scene, Kai had now suddenly placed the final pieces of the puzzle together. He turned his back to Voltaire and Boris to see that his blade was still taking a beating from the agent's blader.

'Dranzer and I are connected like one. Is this how the agent and his bitbeast are bitbeast capable of reading our every move and thought? That explains why his blade is glowing, he has accessed our connection.'

"You may have extracted the information that you need from me, but you're not going to win." Kai clenched his fists and growled in temper. "Dranzer, let's finish off this creep!"

Obeying her master's command, Dranzer snatched herself free from the opponent's blade and she swirled around the scene to create a feisty fire tornado around both the agent and his blade. Kai had trapt them.

Naturally, Kai had returned back to the BBA facility without no illusions or memories being replayed. He was free from his mind, and Kai was ready to make his agent pay for his invasion.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't roast you to death?"

"If you have to ask to take a man's life, then you don't have the strength to kill someone, Kai. You're all talk." The agent took a deep breath through his nose and then raised his head up to the fans. "Oh, and by the way, never expect a match to be fair and never underestimate a desperate man."

"Oh spare me the lecture and shut your mouth." Kai pointed his finger to initiate his final attack. "Go Dranzer!"

Dranzer narrowed the tornado towards the blader, but before it could enclose on their opponents, the flames disappeared and a deafening sound spiralled around the room – it was the fans on the ceiling.

"And you were supposed to be Boris' secret weapon? Pathetic."

xXx

"There are bladers out there who have been trained to wipe out the dark side of this sport… These people are known as The BBA Agents. They take down people who are dirtier than Boris."~

"Oh, I am so going to prove Hiro wrong." Tyson groaned aloud to himself with sweat pouring from every pore in his face. He gritted his teeth together and used every ounce of energy in his figure to lift these oversized weights in his palms. "I will take down the dark side of this sport and then I will win a match against an agent to prove that I am the best that ever lived."

Even though Tyson's intentions were a little self-centred, he was about to understand the unlocked potential that was hidden deep within his oversized heart.

As he raised, and then lowered the weight in his hand, the screen on the gym wall switched on to reveal the most disturbing images that not even the most disturbing bladers would even dream of witnessing.

Chained filthy children were standing in rows along a sewer wall with price tags stamped on to their hands. Attached to their clothing were some descriptions to define just how well the blader could perform in a match.

Obviously, the stronger the blader, the more flashy the price tag.

'This cannot be real.'~

Another image revealed six malnourished and frail bladers on an oversized ship, they had just crawled out of a container looking disorientated and wide-eyed. Yet the man who had opened the door was holding a bottle of chloroform and a cloth in his left hand.

'What!?~

Children were blading in dangerous conditions in which no man would dare to explore: mines, underground cities, caves, laboratories and boats.

No matter how far or near, there was a handful of individuals to control the frightened bladers – in their hands was some form of a weapon: a whip, a gun, a stun gun, a flame thrower or anything!

At first, a frown appeared on his tanned face, but once the images flashed before his eyes, Tyson naturally was distracted. He dropped the weights onto the ground and almost collapsed to the ground on his knees.

"HOW CAN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN SWEPT UNDER THE RUG FOR SO LONG!?"

The sudden distress that Tyson experienced awoken a deep rage from deep within his soul. He slammed his fists against the ground and released a frustrated tear or two from his mournful eyes.

'I HAVE TO SAVE THESE KIDS!'~

For one final time, Tyson raised his head to glance at the final image that was frozen on the screen. It was a boy who was plastered in fresh bruising and wounds from a merciless beating. His soul destroyed eyes told a sad story which displayed that there had not an ounce of joy in his short life. If anything, the boy looked as if he was ready to die just so he could escape this nightmare.

On his t-shirt, it displayed: BBA Agent. He'd clearly been captured by the thugs who were in charge of his this disgusting business.

'GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW! I NEED TO SAVE THESE KIDS! THIS IS NOT WHAT BEYBLADE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT!'~


	4. Max's Curiousity.

The Skin Trade  
Chapter 4 - Max's Curiosity.

"Agent Z, we have analysed the data which Tyson and Kai have provided in their training sessions." A fellow employee rushed into her facility office and quickly closed the door behind him.

"It's just as you predicted. Both the men have failed their tests." The employee then tossed down two files labelled, 'top secret' onto her desk. He arched himself over the desk and slammed his hands down in temper. "These two young men are famous bladers, not agents. So send them back to Japan. They should be present in a tournament, and not in an underground warzone."

"Maybe, but who am I to go against Mr Dickinson's orders?" The head agent replied in a slick tone. She glided her hand across the files but refused to open them. "Which blader failed the most miserably then?"

Unsure as to where he should start, the red-faced adviser lowered his head and growled under his breath.

"Well, if you'd made the effort to open the files, you'd quickly realise that it was Tyson. During the shooting test, the big-headed gloat refused to even pick up the weapon. He claimed that he couldn't possibly take somebody's life as it would be dishonourable."

"Oh." The slender female maintained a content expression, but she was secretly dying to grin. "And what of Kai?"

"Kai was defeated by our agent in the training exercise. Therefore we have gained the information that we have been looking for." The dark-haired agent then straightened his broad figure and took a deep breath, "But the only problem is that we didn't gain a recording of the scene-"

Agent Z's eyes narrowed like a predator, "WHAT!?" She roared with her lungs almost giving out of air.

"The recording cameras have been tampered with, so it's our word against Kai's and the Hiwatari's are well known for being untouchable. They have an army of lawyers on speed-dial." A heavy-hearted sigh cooed from those cracked dry lips, and the male agent folded his arms across his chest. "But the agent did write down a record as to what he saw during that match. I have placed his account in Kai's file for you to read. Once you have finished, I would be grateful if you could inform me of what you want me to do next with those trainwrecks."

Livid with the recent failure, Agent Z had no choice but to swallow her rage. After all, she was a woman with plenty of life experience under her belt.

"The two boys need a new identity for their set missions." She implied, "Kai will be sent into the heart of the trafficking ring to find out who is at the very top of this industry. Once he's done so, he can then begin to destroy the main trafficking sites, one by one."

"You want to send Kai? Despite that, he lost to our agent-"

"Kai is more withdrawn, so he will get the mission done. Besides, he is the one who destroyed half of Balkov Abbey before he ditched them. This man has personal experience with fast-paced environments, therefore, Kai is a survivor who has what it takes to bring down the evilest people in this industry."

"He failed-"

Agent Z continued to talk over him, "Tyson on the other hand, he cares much more than what Kai does. He can be sent into the field to search for the missing BBA Agents. Tyson can also piece together his findings to figure out who the shifty agent was that leaked everything to the press."

"This plan is too risky. What if Kai or Tyson are recognised? You cannot just send them into the trafficking trade and expect them to walk out as free men."

Another huff cooed from Agent Z's lips, "Mr Dickinson believes in these legends, so we must too. So get out of my office and prepare them for their missions. Don't brief them until they are boarded onto their flights to their set locations. Kai will head to Italy, yet Tyson will fly to America." Once she'd finished her instructions, Agent Z waved her hand to dismiss her assistant.

There was no room for a discussion here.

"Oh, and before you go. Authorise an agent to hack Voltaire's computer. I want everything."

'With Kai out of the frame, his grandfather is now vulnerable.' Agent Z began to see the advantages of having Kai in the service. 'But why would Mr Dickinson want Tyson too?'

xXx

With everything now in Hiro's hands, the team continued their roles and duties to ensure that they were prepared for their upcoming match. Their new captain had stepped up to everyone's expectations pretty well.

If there was one thing that Hiro was good at, it was ensuring that he could motivate people to the best of their ability. Some of the teammates were beginning to wonder if this was a Granger family trait because they too were reminded of Tyson's presence whenever Hiro spoke.

"Just remember, if you are thinking about giving up; you need to remind yourselves that Tyson and Kai are most likely watching your match. Those boys wouldn't miss your games for the world, so let's make them proud."

With that mini prompt constantly circling in their minds, Ray and Max had somehow found the strength to push themselves past their limits.

Ray gasped with sweat dripping down his chiselled face, "I won't let them down-"

"Neither will I!" Max gritted his teeth and gained eye contact with his teammate, Ray. They were both in the middle of an intense battle. "And I won't let anyone stand in my way!"

Impressed by their performances, Kenny continued to analyse the on-going match. "I don't know how Hiro does it, but he just knows how to push bladers into the danger zone. Ray's stamina has increased by 20 percent, yet Max's power has increased by 30. Draciel and Drigger will seriously injure one another if things don't calm down." His fingers were typing away like there was no tomorrow, Kenny was determined to jot down every single detail.

"Perhaps we should stop the match." Hilary squinted, "After all, they are teammates. The real rivals are out in the tournament. So they should save their new power levels for the big games."

"You will do no such thing." Hiro fired at her with a dirty look, "They are exploring new territory with their power-"

"Pft, I am the team manager, so who are you to override me? They can play with their new energy on their own. That way, nobody will get hurt and I still have two bladers in the tournament." Hilary wasn't having any of it. She walked past the new captain and placed herself behind Ray, "Boys, come on. Break time. I don't fancy taking someone to the hospital today. So let's finish this up quickly and peacefully."

Hiro's eyes almost rolled out of their sockets, "Is she being serious?"

"Hilary isn't afraid of no-one." Kenny smiled warmly at her efforts. "Hilary is so strong that she keeps everyone in line, even Tyson and Kai."

"Hilary, I think we should continue-"

"I don't care." She shut Ray down. "Now finish this match off before I do."

A large smile then smeared across Max's lips and his eyes lit up, "Well, you heard the boss. Let's call it off and continue this another time." Naturally, he obeyed the brunette and relaxed his figure so he could cool off his Draciel.

Afterwards, Ray grunted with disapproval but nodded to understand the order. Both of the bladers raised their hands into the air to catch their blades and then turned to face Kenny to read his expression.

"You both amazing guys!" The Chief almost fangirled, "I will break down the match with each of you, but today, I'd like to start with you Ray. I've spotted a potential weakness that you might want to address."

Max winked, "Sounds good to me."

Ray and Max then exchanged a thumbs up before going into their separate ways. Ray approached Kenny and sat beside him on the fresh grass, meanwhile Max snuck away to the nearby bushes to gain himself some privacy.

"Where's he going?" Hilary muttered out loud as she passed Hiro again, "I better go check on him to make sure that he's alright."

"No." A hand reached out onto Hilary's shoulder to prevent her from leaving, it was Hiro. "He's probably got a call for mother nature. So leave him be."

Hilary's face blushed at the thought and she held in her breath. 'Damn it. Men are so lucky to have that advantage in the wilderness.'

Once he was adamant that he was secure from the group, the blond attached his blade onto his belt and he then pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket. Max knew that he was breaking the 'teams golden rule', but he stole his phone back for the peace of mind of knowing that his teammates were still alive.

It'd been a week since Tyson and Kai had left the team to start their missions, and for Max, it felt like time was dragging. He was missing Tyson terribly and his fragile heart ached at the thought of losing him. Besides, he was his best friend. But that didn't mean that Max didn't miss Kai either, if anything, Max was beginning to wish that he too had volunteered to take part in the secret missions.

'Wait, is it too late to volunteer?'

Once he'd finished skimming through the news to see that there was still no stories that related to Tyson or Kai's well-being, Max decided to call the BBA headquarters to get in touch with Mr Dickinson's office.

"I'm sorry, but Mr Dickinson is out of the office for a few days at the moment. But I can take a message on your behalf-"

A heavy huff flared from Max's nostrils. "No, it's fine. Tell him that I would like to speak to him, it's pretty urgent." He then hung up and slammed his mobile down onto his bag-pack.

'Why is this man suddenly nowhere to be seen!? What has this man got to hide?! I'm so tired of these secrets.'

Before Max could react properly to the negative outcome, he was disturbed by a shadow that appeared in the corner of his eye. It fluttered through the bushes and paced itself with the cool breeze. Seconds later, the breeze then picked up to form a strong gail around Max's figure.

"I'm seriously not in the mood for this." The Draciel wielder straightened himself up and prepared his launcher, "You've already made an entrance, so come out already!"

Without warning, a slash dragged across Max's cheek. "UH!" He grunted and closed his eyes for a brief second to brace himself for anything else.

"You're not the one I am looking for." A faint whisper hissed within the breeze. "Goodbye, Max."

Seconds later, the winds then disappeared and so did the sensation of the intruders presence. The scene had instantly calmed and it was as if nothing had happened.


	5. Defying Orders Together.

The Skin Trade  
.Chapter 5.

“MAX!” Gasped Hilary with her face paling at his presence. “What on Earth happened to you? I don’t recall Drigger doing this much damage to you.”

Hiro dropped his bottled water and then rushed to check over the blond American. He inspected the deep scratch on his cheek and grunted uneasily. 

“A blade did this to you, didn’t it?” The older Granger muttered under his breath. He almost cringed at the thought of Max enduring that attack. 

“Kenny! Get the first aid kit from the bus! Pronto!” Ordered Hilary, “Max is hurt!”

After nodding to Hiro’s question, Max shook his head and dismissed the need for a first aid kit. “Guys, I am okay. It’s just a scratch on the face.” 

Relieved, Hilary darted over and offered him her scarf. “Who or what did this to you? Max, that scratch looks painful.” 

“There’s no need to spoil that pretty scarf of yours Hilary.” 

Max kindly refused Hilary’s scarf and wiped his face with his gloved hand. It surprised him with how badly the wound was bleeding, but the pain was minimal compared to his previous injuries. Awkwardly, Max didn’t realise that the wound had bled down his neck and soaked into his t-shirt.

Seconds later, Kenny and Ray cancelled their one to one session to follow – during the dash, Kenny had grabbed the first aid box from the mini bus beforehand. He opened up the first aid box to pull out an adhesive dressing.

“A blader has attacked Max. Hilary, inform Mr Dickinson at once. Ray! Me and you will go and find this individual.”

“I wouldn’t bother! The intruder has disappeared, and Mr Dickinson is still not in his office.” He explained with his eyes closing to hide his shame. “I tried to call him earlier.”

Stunned by the response, a moment of silence fell between the team. Max re-opened his eyes to calmly retrieved the dressing from Kenny’s hands. A small groan cooed from his lips as he pressed it against his throbbing face. 

“Give me your phone.” Hiro growled in the Draciel wielders face. “How dare you break one of the rules that I have specifically put in place to protect your life.”

“Easy Hiro.” Ray stepped in to defend his friend, “There is no need to display your temper here. Max could well have a good reason behind his intentions.”

“Maybe. But we are not to be distracted by the media-”

“Give him your phone Max.” Hilary piped up with her voice sounding fragile. “Hiro’s right. We cannot afford to let ourselves become vulnerable to whatever is heading our way. I mean, your attack just then was a prime example. If you hadn’t snuck off to use your phone, you wouldn’t have that wound on your face.”

“No, I am not surrendering my phone.” Max retorted stubbornly. “I want to keep on top of everything so I can find out if my friends are still alive or not!”

“They will be fine.” Ray licked his lips and took a deep breath through his nose. “Kai and Tyson are too fond of themselves to let anything happen to them. So stay positive and believe in them a little more, Max.”

With tears now creeping up in the ducks of his eyes, Max nodded negatively as if to say: ‘That’s easier said than done right now.’ With Hilary’s phrase ringing alarm bells inside his mind, Max surrendered his phone to Hiro and then collapsed down onto his knees.

“Excellent. Well done Max.” Praised Hiro as he slid the phone into his pocket. “Now, tell us everything that happened.”

Naturally, Max let the words just flow from his mouth when he told the event. 

“He said that he wasn’t searching for me and then disappeared.” Max’s eyes had dried up at this point. The brave soldier hadn’t cried a single tear. “He’s looking for someone else in this town. I don’t know why.”

“How strange.” Kenny cuddled his laptop close to his chest. “Guys, I don’t mean to sound like a scardy cat. But I think we should head back to the dojo. We can discuss this in more detail there.”

“What an excellent idea!” Hilary agreed, “I can prepare you all some lunch!”

A heavy groan flew out of Ray’s lips. “Greaaat.” He hissed under his breath at the thought of Hilary cooking. Even the blunt Drigger wielder wasn’t brave enough to insult the team manager.

As everyone made their way back to the mini bus, Ray deliberately dawdled back to the vehicle beside Max. Once everyone was out of view, he began to probe Max for the small details that he’d missed.

“You are very good with your explinations, Max. But you seem to have missed out one key feature of the plot.” Ray dangled Max’s mobile phone in front of the blond’s face. “Why did you call Mr Dickinson?”

Max shot Ray a wide eyed glance, “Uh…” He couldn’t believe what Ray was proposing - ‘Tell me what you know and then you can have your phone back.’

Again, Ray wiggled the phone and smirked cunningly. “Shall I jog your memory and drop the phone?”

“NO!” Max almost shrieked, “Urgh, fine. Do you think I would make a good BBA Agent like Kai and Tyson? Because I wanted to know if I could still volunteer to help them.”

Without even speaking an answer, Ray’s face said enough. He looked disappointed and concerned.

“Max, I feel the same way. But trust me, in the future, we will be needed and then we can do our share of good alongside Tyson and Kai. Believe me, things are about to spiral out of proportion. Especially if this attacker is looking for someone.” 

Ray handed Max back his phone and then tapped on the screen, “Keep an eye on the news. This attacker will strike again soon and inform me when he does.” He winked and cracked a brief smile when Max mirrored his positive look.

“Oh, and Ray, before we get on the bus, there’s something else I need to explain.” Max peeked ahead to see that their teammates were now waiting for them. “When that blader appeared, he gave off the same vibe that Bryan did when you faced him in our first season. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s something to do with all of this.”

“Bryan?” Blinked Ray as he waved to the teammates up ahead to assure them that everything was okay. “Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt for you to pop him a message to see how the Blitzkrieg Boys are doing. Again, keep me updated Max.”

“Will do.” Max promised, “Thank you Ray.”

“And do not get caught using your phone again. I don’t find touching Hiro’s backside pockets pleasant.”


	6. 6

The Skin Trade  
.Revisiting the past.

‘Why me!? Out of all the people who exist in this industry, why have they chosen me? Why not Tala? He has more experience in this field than I do.’

33… 34… 35… 36~

Before Kai could count the 36th push up, a familiar figure entered the room to deliberately catch him off guard. He gazed at intruders with a curious frown appearing on his upside down face. 

“Kai. How much of that day do you remember?”

A small shudder swirled up his spine, but Kai refused to show any emotion on his face to give away his true feelings. He climbed down from the gym bar and used his black vest to wipe the sweat away from his forehead. 

“Enough.” He dryly replied. “Why?”

Agent Z stepped aside to reveal another agent. She clicked her heels together and then aimed her open palm towards the man. 

“This is agent 1. He will be going through some mug shots with you.” Agent Z smiled confidently, “Once you identify a face, we then have a lead in which you can use to track down a way into the trafficking ring.” 

Without asking anymore questions, Kai switched off his interest to Agent Z and he locked his predator gaze onto the petite man, who was wearing geeky clothing which almost represented Kenny’s fashion sense. Although, the Hiwatari didn’t recall Kenny having such a jolly looking tie.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Mr Hiwatari.” Agent 1 bowed his head respectfully to reveal that his ginger locks, “You will be pleased to know that we have re-watched through the footage of that eventful day and came up with some faces which may match the criminals in which you came into contact with. However, the surveillance couldn’t get a clear picture of the men featured, so we are relying on your memory to identify our potential leads.”

‘There’s no point in fighting these guys, they will only get that other blader to extract information out of me.’

“Fine.” Kai obliged with bitterness lingering within his tone. He clearly wasn’t overly keen on looking back on that dark memory. “The sooner I get started, the better.”

Agent 1 almost saluted the blader, but he placed his hands by his sides and smiled proudly. “Excellent. That’s what we like to hear Mr Hiwatari. If you’d like to follow me this way then.” He began to casually stroll out the room.

After a few twists and turns around the maze, Kai finally arrived into a room which almost seemed like a sight which you see in Hollywood films. The Hiwatari’s muscles pumped. There were a large number of agents sat at a computer with their heads glued to the screen. Upon their desks were snacks, a bottle of water and a walkie talkie. 

He took a deep breath through his nose and followed Agent 1 through the rows of desks to make his way over to the centre of the room, which contained a small glass office with the words ‘Agent 1’ printed on the door. Inside was a large board, a digital screen which was contacted via cable to a laptop. Finally, Agent 1 had a walkie talkie on his desk too incase he was needed. 

“Please, come in and take a seat.” Agent 1 warmly encouraged as he opened the door for Kai. “It’s quite cosy and quiet in here.”

“Hn.” 

“I bet you can’t believe that I am in charge of everyone in this unit, would you? They work through all hours so we can watch every movement which these thugs make.” Agent 1 spoke smoothly. “Together we have all collected a handful of suspects and we have contained any surveillance needed for evidence.”

Kai wasn’t overly impressed with the petite space, but he did as he was asked. He placed himself down on the seating provided and gazed over to the coffee machine which sat in the corner of the room. 

Once the door was closed, Agent 1 provided them both with a fresh beverage and he then got to work with uploading the files in which his crew had uploaded for him. All in rows there were pictures of men who all matched the identity of the figure in which was seen on that very fateful day.

The task would seem simple, but to Kai, his mind suddenly developed a case of anxiety. His eyes jumped from one face to another and his hand clenched around his coffee cup. It wasn’t long until his left rubbed the stress temples on his forehead. 

The memory which was constantly replay in his mind was blurring out the most vital piece of information, the crooks face who had snatched the trafficked child. It was at that moment when Kai realised that he had been too fixated on the child, instead, he should have observed the larger picture of the scene.

‘I won’t make this mistake again.’ He taunted to himself mentally.

“Kai.” Agent 1 approached him to sit beside him on the sofa provided. “I would normally encourage someone to take their time. But we are on a tight schedule to get this operation started-”

“Shut up.” Snapped Kai with his teeth gritting. “If it was that easy then you would have done this without my help.” 

“Uh...” The Agent sighed, “I see your point.”

xXx

‘We will meet you at Bey-City strip club.’~

With that fresh text lighting up his phone, the blond American was prepared to defy any order given to him by Hiro. 

“You’re all under a curphew until things calm down!”~

Max couldn’t bare the thought of letting his friends do all of the work, especially when they all took an oath to help one another no matter what the situation was.

“If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us.” Max clenched his hand around his Drigger before placing the blade into his pocket. “I’m sorry Hiro, I don’t mean to be this difficult, but I can’t stand by and ignore this.”

With that confession left to float effortless into the atmosphere of secrets, Max opened the bedroom window and climbed out into the crisp night. 

“Bryan, I am coming to you for answers.”


	7. Finding The Blitzkrieg Boys

The Skin Trade  
Chapter 7: Finding The Blitzkrieg Boys.

“It’s him.”

A sudden pause entered the atmosphere, it was so overwhelming that the agent was struggling to find his voice. But once Kai had finally pointed to the face on the giant screen, the agent rose up from his desk and glimpsed at the criminal.

Slowly a grin appeared upon his lightly bearded mouth, “It’s just as we expected. We have been watching him for a while now. So we can send you straight to his wareabouts.” Agent One highlighted the photograph and revealed all of the criminals details.

‘Why did they need me to identify him if they knew it was him in the first place!? Is this place just a giant test?!’

Baffled by the reaction, Kai frowned at the agent and ran his hand through his blue locks. “Where am I going then?” He didn’t need to ask about the brief of his first mission as it was quite clear to Kai what the task was – capture this arsehole and bring him back for a chat.

“Mr Hiwatari, we are flying you to Rome. But before you go, we need to change up your appearance.” Agent One stated confidently. “With my top notch Photoshop skills, I have drafted out some identities for you to chose from. Consider this an honour because many of our agents don’t get a choice in this matter.”

“Why do I get the special treatment then?”

“Because I am a massive fan of yours.” Agent One interrupted quickly and reached into his draw to pull out a notepad and a pen. “Before you leave, I also would like your autograph.”

“Uh...” Completely caught off-guard, Kai’s eyes almost rolled out of their sockets. Once his heart fluttered back to its normal pace, he nodded his head at Agent One. “No, this is another one of your sick tests, isn’t it?”

Slowly, the agent lowered his hand. “Maybe.” He almost laughed. “You need to get into the habit of saying no incase people somehow recognise your pretty face. You also must deny that you are Kai Hiwatari too because if you get caught, you lose everything, including our support.” Agent one then licked his lips briefly, “However, right now, I am being serious about having your autograph, my mother is a big fan.”

‘HIS MUM!?’

A low growl cooed from Kai’s dry lips, “You’re starting to irritate me.” He huffed before snatching the notepad and pen from the agents hand. “Here, now lets start getting to the serious stuff.” Kai scrippled his name onto the notepad and then flung it back towards him.

“Thank you! Much appreciated Mr Hiwatari. My, your strong reputation doesn’t deceit you.”

Naturally, Kai rolled his eyes with boredom. But as he studied the options that were available to him on the computer screen. He noticed something peculiar amongst the agents wall – it was a photograph of Tala and his team, beneath the photograph was their autographs too!

‘Wait, are they in on this too!? Were they approached after that day too?’

xXx

The colourful stage lights were difficult for any man to focus on anything other than the faultless girls who were dancing their hearts out for their money. Yet the smooth pop music in the background was enough to make any man feel tempted and seduced by the atmosphere that was pulsing around him.

‘I’ve never been to a strip club before.’ Max concluded to himself as his virgin eyes struggled to focus on finding Bryan and the team. ‘How am I supposed to spot The Blitzkrieg Boys in this funky place. It’s massive!’

Lost in the vibes, Max brushed past groups of men to begin his search. His heart was racing inside his chest, but the blond gave away no symptoms of anxiousness on the outside. Beautiful girls nearby did tempt the American with their seductive gaze, but he just closed his eyes and shifted forwards. He wanted to admire their gifted figures which were well groomed or surgically enhanced, but his priority was set on helping his distant teammates.

‘If I were a Blitzkrieg Boy, where would I be in a strip club? Probably in trouble.’

Now near the bar, Max’s thoughts were distracted by the sound of a familiar voice. It sounded dominant and husky like a certain red head that he knew. 

“Oh will you just put the idiot down. I’m sure Bryan has enough money on him to pay for his lap-dance-”

“Actually, I don’t. I was hoping that you would help me out. Again.” 

“WHAT!?” 

A bouncer had his hand sealed around the scruff of Bryan’s t-shirt so tight that his feet were barely touching the floor. “I spent all my money on their cheap vodka. Honestly, it wasn’t even worth it.” The silver haired blader lowered his eyes to look at the size of the bouncers fist – he wasn’t scared in the slightest, especially as Bryan knew that he could take him down. 

Behind the bouncer’s large figure was a stripper with her hands on her bare hips. She looked ever so cross with flames burning in her eyes. “Give me money before I make him do something which we will all regret.” Her glossed pouty lips demanded harshly. 

“Look, here.” Spencer stepped out of the booth and opened up his wallet, “I hope this covers the ladies bill.” 

Pleased with the sum, the stripper clicked her fingers and snatched Spencer’s wallet. “That’s all I wanted.” The bleach blonde hissed and removed the money before handing it back to him. 

Bryan was dropped onto the ground as the team shot Bryan an unimpressed glance. 

“We just can’t take you anywhere.” Tala claimed with his hands slipping into his pockets to pull out his wallet. “Anyway, it’s my turn to buy the next round. What’s everyone having?”

Relief flared through Max’s veins and his eyes lit up with joy. “There you are! I’ll have a glass of pop please!” He cheered and rushed over to their booth. 

A small grin smeared across Bryan’s lips as he climbed back up onto his feet. “I honestly didn’t think the kid would make it because the BBA are on lockdown. But here he is.” He praised and stepped aside to give Max enough space to sit down in the booth. 

“Who the fuck says that they want a glass of pop?” Ian blinked with embarrassment. “Is he a mommys boy or something?”

“I’ll take it that Hiro couldn’t keep his eye on you then?” Bryan sat next to the Draciel wielder looking proud of the Bladebreaker. “That boy will be all over you when you return, you know that, don’t you?”

“I know. But that’s if I get caught though.” Max winked confidently, “He is Tyson’s brother after all, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The Granger’s are very heavy sleepers.”


	8. Nobody is safe.

The Skin Trade  
.Chapter 8: Nobody is Safe.

"Yea, we were approached by the BBA Agents too. But we refused to co-operate." Bryan explained as he sipped his alcoholic beverage. "The BBA have refused us protection and they basically told us that we were on our own. But that's no big deal to us anyway because we can look after ourselves."

"Will you keep your voices down. You never know who is listening." Spencer hushed under his breath with his eyes skimming around their surroundings. He spotted a strange figure nearby lurking among the crowds of men. His gaze was almost fixed amongst the team. "The BBA say that they have left us alone, but I wouldn't count on it. Some strange things have been happening lately."

"What do you mean?" Max frowned with concern and he shifted his glance over to where Spencer was staring. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Tala smirked, "We have nothing to worry about. Besides, it's more dangerous to be a BBA agent than it is to be a famous blader. They're disappearing at an alarming rate, yet we are still here."

"He's right." Ian backed his captain, "It's best to leave the BBA agents alone, especially when you hear the rumour about who is possibly leaking all of their identities."

Unsure what Spencer is staring at, Max returned his full attention to the table and gently traced his fingertips around the edge of his pop glass. He was so overpowered with shock that he was once again struggling to understand just what was going on here.

'Why do I feel like I am being watched?' The blond thought to himself with his muscles tensing. 'And who is watching me? Are they the good kind, or are they the bad? I don't think I am going to find out until I begin my journey home.'

"How do you know all of this?" Max asked cautiously, "Because you seem to know an awful lot."

"We have our ways." Bryan wrapped his arm around Max to purposely sooth his nerves, "The rumour is that Tyson's Dad is leaking the information about the spies because the first track came from his laptop whilst he was in Egypt."

"WHAT!?"

"Shhhh." Ian hushed again with a light chuckle. "You Bladebreakers really don't know how to whisper."

"I can't believe it." Max's heart skipped a beat and he stamped his feet with frustration. "My best friends Dad wouldn't do something like that."

"You can believe and refuse what you like, but it's a fact." Tala crossed his legs and folded his broad arms. "Tyson's Dad hasn't been seen since this rumour has surfaced. It's a coincidence if I say so myself."

A low growl purred from Max's lips, "But why would he do that? And if he's disappeared, why are the BBA agents identities still be revealed? This doesn't make sense!"

"Who cares. Just don't get involved with them because it's only a matter of time before Kai and Tyson's identity are leaked, no matter how much the BBA change their identity." Tala closed his eyes as he announced this heavy information. "Anyway, you came to us for another issue. What do you want?"

Bryan quickly unwrapped his arm from Max and nodded at Ian to fetch the American another drink to calm his nerves. "You are hiding some wounds here Max. Is this why you have came to us?" The silver haired blader muttered, he acknowledged how Max had winced when his heavy touch secured his figure.

Ian mirrored the nod at Bryan to demonstrate that he had read the message load and clear, he slithered his way out the booth and went over to the bar with Spencer chauffeuring him along the way.

"Hang on, this is all too much to take in." Max's breathing became irregular and his fists clenched defensively. "I just don't understand what's going on right now. It's so complicating."

"Then stop trying to understand it and wait for time to reveal the answers." Tala snapped sharply, "Now, my teammate asked you a serious question, so answer him."

Tempted to pack everything in and run back to warn his team, Max shook off that irrational fear and sipped the last of his drink to cool off his temper.

"Yes, someone attacked me. I came to you because the bladers attacks were very similar to your bitbeasts. They injured me like how you injured Ray in our first world tournament." Max slammed down his beverage glass and revealed his injuries to them. "I know it wasn't you, but I am wondering if you have any clues or hints."

"We don't know who attacked you." Tala's eyelids opened to reveal a snow storm in his eyes. "But judging by what you've told us, it can't be no other than one of Boris' trial and error bitbeasts."

"Boris had many failed experiments in that lab. It took him years to master the creation of making man-made bitbeasts, that's why he joined the trafficking ring. He needed volunteers to test these experiments, plus he needed an army." Bryan sat back in his chair and flashed a brief serious glance to his captain, this clearly was all to painful, but it had to be said. "As Boris ran out of money, he needed Voltaires backing to fund the expensive trial because they wanted the perfect weapons to take over the world. Any throw outs were given or exchanged to the traffick ring. Boris never lost out."

"Uh…." Max blinked, "That man is just scum."

"He is, but he was very intelligent." Tala tilted his head ajar. "The bitbeast that attacked you is probably Falburg, a twin to Falborg."

"Possibly. It was given to a boy who rivalled my strength in the abbey. But in the end, he wasn't strong enough to take down me and Falborg, so he disappeared." Bryan didn't too worried about the situation. "I'm surprised you didn't take him down too."

"Too be honest, I never got the chance too. He disappeared after he said that I wasn't the one that he was looking for. He's hunting for someone, and Bryan, after everything that you've just told me, I'm worried that it might be you."

Even though Max seemed concerned about this, it shocked him when he watch the Bryan and Tala just laugh it off.

"Let him come." Bryan spoke in a conquering tone, "I'll make him squeal."

"Bryan, this isn't funny-"

"Stop worrying, Max." Tala instructed firmly. "Now, I think it's time that you caught a taxi home. It's past your bedtime."

**Author's Note:**

> This idea hit me out of nowhere, I honestly couldn't tell you what the inspiration was. But I do know that this plot has intertwined with other story ideas that I have been playing with for some time now. I know lately that my updates have slowed right down, but this idea has really made me feel so eager to express everything. I never realised that I was so hungry to get back onto the scene to show everyone what I really can do. My writing has improved, yet my imagination has just stepped outside of its comfort zone xD. Anyhow! I hope you all have enjoyed this strong introduction, take care and see you soon! - Granger~


End file.
